Emily Ratajkowski Opens Up About Marriage Collapse and Post-Divorce Dating in New Essay
Model and author Emily Ratajkowski published a personal essay in The Cut on June 12, 2026, detailing the breakdown of her marriage to Sebastian Bear-McClard, her fears around single motherhood, and her experiences reentering the dating scene. The essay describes how her marriage 'collapsed' in the period following the birth of her son Sylvester in March 2021, with the couple separating in July 2022 and finalizing their divorce in 2025. The piece is notable for its candid exploration of how Ratajkowski reconciled a lifelong fear of becoming a single mother with her actual experience of it.
In a personal essay published by The Cut on June 12, 2026, Emily Ratajkowski chronicled the deterioration of her marriage to filmmaker Sebastian Bear-McClard, describing the transition into motherhood as a 'violent' shift and noting that the couple stopped having sex six months after their son Sly was born. She wrote that her marriage 'collapsed' over a period that 'felt both instant and excruciatingly slow,' leading to their separation in July 2022 and a divorce finalized in 2025. Ratajkowski reflected on having long viewed single motherhood as something to be avoided, calling it a term she once considered an insult, and described the pity she perceived from others after her split. After becoming single, she said she entered a dating 'mania,' consciously adopting a 'supervillain' persona modeled on characters like Poison Ivy and Catwoman, framing herself as a woman who needed nothing from men. She ultimately concluded that this performance was as hollow as the 'good girl' role she had played earlier in life, writing that she had never truly been connected to her own desires. Ratajkowski also noted that some men she dated were specifically attracted to her status as a mother, which she found unsettling. The essay accompanies a photoshoot and extends themes she explored in her 2021 essay collection 'My Body.'
How coverage differed
The New York Post led with the 'shock confession about sex life' framing, emphasizing the most sensational personal details, while USA Today and InStyle focused on Ratajkowski's rejection of the 'divorced single mom' label and her broader reflections on identity and dating, presenting the essay in a more empowerment-oriented light.
What different sources said
- USA TodayCenter
Emily Ratajkowski says she rejects the label 'divorced single mom'
- Page SixCenter
Emily Ratajkowski makes shocking confession about sex life with ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard
- People.comCenter
Emily Ratajkowski Resented Being a 'Good Girl' Before Getting Married
- Yahoo FinanceCenter
Emily Ratajkowski makes shock confession about sex life with ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard
- instyle.comCenter
Emily Ratajkowski Recalls "Collapsed" Marriage After Giving Birth and Learning Men Are "Turned on by Motherhood"
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